One of the reasons southbound traffic backs up on Front Street during evening rush hour is that drivers on Newport Way ignore the yield sign. (Please note, it reads: yield, not merge).

During the red light cycle on Newport, the cars on Front Street have the right of way. If Newport Way was posted no turn on red, it would allow traffic on each street a fair portion of the allotted time, and a smoother flow of traffic. This “no turn” sign could be limited to the hours of 3-7 p.m., which appears to be the most congested time period.

A survivor of the 2006 Jewish Federation shootings sat down with Mayor Ava Frisinger to call for universal background checks Aug. 27.

Cheryl Stumbo, one of six shot by Naveed Afzal Haq, has begun actively lobbying lawmakers to support Initiative 594, which calls for “extending the requirement for a background check to apply to all gun sales and transfers in the state.” Toward that aim, she was invited by Frisinger, herself a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns and a victim of gun violence, to lead a roundtable discussion at City Hall.

“We’re here today to share stories of gun violence,” Stumbo said. “This is sort of one of those taboo subjects and I think that’s part of the problem. We want our elected leaders to hear us.”